Understanding CTE: The Hidden Risk in Football and How SAFR Is Working to Prevent It
Football is a game of strength, strategy, and spirit but beneath the excitement lies a serious concern: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). What Is CTE? CTE is a progressive degenerative brain disease found in individuals with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including athletes and military veterans. It’s caused by repeated head injuries, both concussive and sub-concussive. Over time, a protein called tau misfolds and spreads throughout the brain, causing symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, aggression, depression, and eventually progressive dementia.1 Currently, CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death. However, its symptoms can begin appearing years after the brain trauma, making early prevention critically important. The NFL and CTE: Recent Findings Research has shown a strong connection between the length of time playing football and the risk of developing CTE. A 2024 Boston University study concluded that the risk of CTE doubles for every 2.6 years of football played, regardless of level of competition.2 Additionally, a recent Harvard Medical School study found that 1 in 3 former NFL players believe they have CTE, an indication of how widespread concern has become among professional athletes.3 These findings have prompted changes in the NFL, such as limiting full-contact practices
